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3rd Generation S&W's- what is/was the impression?

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A model 411 .40 S&W was my first handgun. It runs great. Plain-Jane, but I fell in love with it at gart brothers years ago. The grip felt perfect. About my only complaint is the plastic followers on the mags, which are also iffy to find. But they are tough guns, physically and aesthetically.

You should've seen the shirt-eating grin on my face the first time I fired a mag of 155 grain Winchester silver tips. :)
 
no doo-dads to fiddle with

I've had a bunch of 3rd generation S&W's and like them fine...still have a few.

My favorite is the 6946 DAO. No safety or de-cocker. Nice and flat on the sides. A couple years ago I sent the slide to Trijicon to have the sights "re-lamped."

As it came in the box with 12 round magazines

407527160.jpg

With longer 5900 series 15 round magazine and S&W supplied spacer to fill out the grip.

410626427.jpg
 
Where did you get that spacer? I've got a 69 series pistol and a few 59 series 15 round mags. I wouldn't mind getting some of those spacers myself.
 
I think you can still get them from S&W. I don't remember them ever being pictured in their on-line catalog.

Used to be able to call S&W and ask for "Mag Butt Plate/Grip W/2 Adapter part # 24212".

Brownell's also used to sell them at a higher price but they appear to be out of stock.

http://www.brownells.com/magazines/...gazine-butt-plate-w-2-adapters-prod14837.aspx

At times you can find the adapters or magazines with the adapters on Gun Broker.

Here is a magazine on GB with an adapter attached...incorrectly identified as a "14 round mag." http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=473863430

The photos show how they are attached. The adapters allowed two additional cartridges in .40 caliber and three in 9mm.
 
I picked up a later model (round trigger guard) 6906 ex-LEO a couple of years ago. I picked it up as a beater, but I have been carrying it a fair amount. While I'm not a big fan of the DA/SA trigger, I do find the SA trigger OK on this pistol. Seems to feed everything with no hiccups. Ended up ordering a custom holster because selection isn't that great. I like the size, it carries pretty well.
 
When I was in the Sheriff's dept our issue weapon was a 4506. It was the first auto I ever fired so I have a sentimental attachment I suppose. I bought a 4506-1 when I was still a deputy and still have it today and yes I even still sometimes carry that 3 pound gun in a Remora holster in the winter when I am wearing something to cover it up. I guess it feels kind of comforting because it spent so much time in the past hanging on my hip. In all the shooting of that duty gun and my personal gun I have never had one failure of any kind with any ammo including reloads. I have heard others call it a garbage disposal because of its ability to feed anything. Well built and heavy but, I was always able to qualify at the marksman level with it. I just bought another factory S&W mag for it from Midwayusa last week. If I had not sold my other Smith (4513) I would probably still be carrying that for an EDC gun.
 
I haven't had a chance to take the 915 to the range yet, so my observations are based on simple handling and dry-firing with a snapcap (and yes, I know live fire can change impressions). Compared to some of my other handguns:

Lighter and a bit more compact than my CZ 75 and Beretta 92SF (slide is shorter). Using your basic "judge by pulling" method, trigger break seems lightest in the CZ, then the S&W, then the Beretta, in that order, both DA and SA. Since I'm mainly intending this to be for range use, I would have preferred a longer slide, but the size is close enough to merit the comparison.
 
I have to say that I like the 3rd gen S&W guns a lot. The first one I got was a 4586 from Bud's. It was a trade in, and had some serious "roadrash" on one side, like it had slid on concrete. It shot great, but DAO is not my thing, so I sold it for more than it cost, and bought a later 4506 police trade in 98% condition to replace it. Except for a couple of tiny nicks that you can't see easily, it looks new and shoots great. I have a 5906 and a 6906 too, they all shoot great and are among my favorite guns.
 
S&W magazine claim .....

When I was a teen in 1988, I recall a Guns & Ammo magazine article about Smith & Wesson's new extended line of semi auto pistols.
A S&W engineer was quoted as saying the new third gen series could feed/cycle empty cases, :eek: .
I never saw any S&W owners try it but it sounded impressive.

FWIW, I shot a rental 3913 9mm at a rural gun range in the early 1990s.
It had stove pipes & misfires a few times but I chalk a lot of that up to cheap 9mm reloaded ammunition & the 3913 pistol being beaten/dirty. :uhoh:
 
I've had a 3913 and a 3914. Rugged, boringly reliable and pretty accurate. I just never could warm to the plastic grips and traded them off for something I wanted more at the time. If I ever find another 2nd or 3rd generation Smith for <$300 I'll jump on it for sure though.
 
Everybody has their little obsessions, and only good sense and budget constraints keep me from accumulating a closet full of 3rd gen S&W semiautos. I've had 4 (6904, CS9, & two 5946's) and have two of those still.

Rock solid duty pistols that feed anything I give them and are more accurate than me (not saying much there), and they fit my hands well. And I just like the way they look.
 
IMO the 10X6 guns were the best production 10mm guns ever available. I have a 1006, 1076 and a 1086 and they just keep on banging away.
 
I took a 4506-1 through the police academy in 1994.

We were shooting some swaged bullet 200 grain SWC reloads that were easily the dirtiest rounds I have ever shot in a .45. After a total of 30 hours at the range over the course of a weekend, except for one tap to the back of the slide for one failure to go into battery, the 4506 and a 6450 (S&W Transitional model consisting of a 4506 frame and a 645 slide, only 178 of them were made) ate them all. The 1911s and the early Glock 21s in the class were not so lucky.

The owner of the 6450, THR member Glockamolie, was the Top Gun of our academy class.

The 3rd Generation Smiths are great guns. I traded that 4506-1 for a nickel plated Series 80 Colt 1911 .45 in 1995 and have regretted it ever since. I think I will get another 4506 :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
I've gotten to be a big fan of the gen3 Smiths, and have gotten into a couple as EDC's over Glock 19's, which I sold to pay for a couple of these. I often prefer to pocket carry, so I REALLY like having the safety and decocker.
A couple years ago, I floated a lowball offer on one I spotted on Armslist, and the guy went for it. It was a very clean 5906, and came with a nylon holster and both mags full of Winchester hollowpoints.........for $250 !! :neener:
More recently I decided I wanted to get a 6906 to carry in place of the little S&W Airweight .38 I often toted, and started hunting.
I spotted one on another local classifed site several months ago, that was also in great condition and came with 4 magazines, and I paid his asking price of $400.
Then, just a couple months ago, I spotted a 5903 on my local Armslist, and the guy was asking "$400 OBO". I e-mailed him and asked what his very best OBO price was. That one came with both mags, a box of Hornady hollowpoints, and 1/2 a box of Winny white-box, AND a leather Bianchi holster!! I STOLE that one for $340 !!!
All of them have reliably fed everything from Federal aluminum, to several types of Russian steel cased, to Georgia Arms reloads, to Wal-mart bulk Fed and Winchester, to some 30 year old Fiocchi I still have lying around.
A buddy of mine got a 4506 from a small local store a few months ago, and he loves that thing, and is also keeping an eye out for another one in 9mm.
 
I'm probably one of the few that like the DA\SA pistols. I carried my 4006 for years until recently switching to a 3904 I found in a little out of the way gun shop in upstate PA.

I've even shot the 4006 and my 5906 in IDPA matches since it's great practice.
I have to admit, the weight just got to be too for EDC.
When things go bump in the night, the 4006 is always on duty.

Do I like the 3rd gen Smiths, u bet!
 
You guys have got to stop telling folks that the 3rd gen Smiths are good, you just drive pricing up. It's supposed to be a secret. mad0235.jpg

All those S&W semi's are just horrible, inaccurate, jam-o-matics. :)
 
Like "Cocked and Locked" I have a DAO 3rd gen. No levers to fool with....just pull that smooth trigger. Mine is a 9mm 3953. Love that gun and it is utterly dependable. Accurate too!
 
My daily carry gun is a 6906.

Although I got it for mostly sentimental reasons, it is a great carry gun. It's got great ergonomics, feeds any ammo I cram in it, has plenty of capacity, and plenty accurate.
 
Market demand (what's cool and hip) caused them to be "superseded"by current offerings to satisfy market cravings.IVE GOT FOUR of the genre.The closest to a standard production is a "Super-9". It has standard style solid barrel bushing and double taper barrel. It's decently accurate (meaning far more accurate than garden variety Glock), and has two accessory barrels in 9x21 and .356TSW. It came with a LPA adjustable rear sight. I at one time removed the sight to shoot NRA service semi auto matches but found the 5906PC to be still eminently more accurate. I've also got two, PPC-9's (5" and 6").
There's few guns that for less than $2,000 will hold a candle to them. Truly the best investments I've ever made.
The first 5906 I ever shot was a Gwinnett Co. GA dept. gun. It was loaned to me to shoot then new Semi-auto "DISTINGUISHED " match. (60 shot match with 50yd stage). I shot a 569-35x using Ga. Arms ammo with 115gr fun "qualification" ammo. It took me three custom M1911's and a Colt Gold Cup to improve on that score. Oddly enough, it was with an S&W 1006 using some FBI issue ammo. I had hand made an aluminum front sight high enough to use a "head-hold on th B-27 target.
It took a Bobby Jones custom M1911 in 9mm with a Kart barrel to Improve on the 1006. To be truly competitive, though required the custom shop S&W's with the Bar-sto barrels and Briley bushings.
When I shoot the service matches, I expect to shoot a clean 480->35x's. Anything not a 10 or X, is my fault. Usually dropped at 15yd line. It now, due to rule change, wears a LPA adjustable rear sight. Allows me to pick up 3-5x's more.
The PPC-9 "Limited's" are likewise X-ring accurate at 50yds. Once when asked how accurate are the guns, I replied, "HOW ACCURATE IS THE AMMO?"
Check out "Clueless Emeritus" on the old "firing line" pre the site. Mr. Camp had been out of PPC Competition for several years and hadn't kept up with equipment trends and development.
I have a factory target with Tom Gordon's signature for the 5" gun. Target shot from ransom rest by him with Federal 9B (115gr JHP "Classic" load" is 0.486" (25yds). The 6" gun is not quite as good as the PC was turning out a lot of them in early'00's. But, due to high mass of the gun, I shoot it a little better, especially in the rapid stages at 15 and 25yd lines. But, at 50 yds in the "Distinguished" stage with a Sierra or Hornady JHP over 5.0gr of HP-38/Win231, there's no contest.... The 5" gun kick's axx! I've equaled or exceeded national records with it in unapproved matches and equaled records often (clean score) in registered competitions. A true joy to shoot. Btw they too, carry S&W lifetime warrantee's. Only "failure" has been a broken extractor tip on the 5906PC. Customer service wouldn't send/sell me a new one. I called back and went to the Perf.Ctr. they asked me for the serial number, then sent me a new one "free". I had already scavenged the one from the Super -9, so in that one it went. Last time that one was fired was to confirm function with new extractor. Between the four, I've shot over 1,000,000rds through the 4. Mostly the 4" getting the 9's out of it at the 15 yd line (12 shots in 20sec.). X's aren't hard, but 9's are real easy if you you aren't on your game.
Can't hardly beat'em.
Can you tell I'm fond of mine?

Edited to add; they're far too valuable to carry and risk having to use them and lose them to "evidence" storage for eternity. For everyday carry I have a Shield .40. I'm still in awe over how good it shoots. First time I shot it with 155gn Lee over 6.3grn of WSF, I dropped one 9 at the 15yd line in ppc service off duty match. It's a keeper too! It did require a local smith to break the rear sight loose to move it. I removed it and " fitted" it properly. It shoots where it "looks" now.
 
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The last renditions with black light rails and marked 'Tactical' were best of the lot. Not surprisingly these are most difficult to find on used market. In terms of value and performance I would take one over Sig-Sauer in a heartbeat.
 
I picked up a 6906 with 2 mags for $340 a long time ago. Runs well and the double action first shot is real smooth but a lot of take up with the single action follow ups. I wanted a gun with ambi safety and a decocker at the time. I did cvs it for a while.
 
Big fan of the entire 3rd Gen line up with special preference for the single-stack 9mms. I've owned: CS9, several 3913's and 3953's, 4506-1, 4513TSW, 915, 6906. I'm mainly 1911 for .45 and BHP for "hi-cap" these days so now only own 2-3913's and a 3953. Never had a lick of problem with any third gen Smith except for not having unlimited funds and safe space to keep them all.
 
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